Melted
by RalphieIsALord
Summary: My heart is a snowflake in your palm. Beautiful yet fading away. Evaporated into the wind with a whisper. Winter doesn't last forever. Jelsa. Thank you to all the poet's poems I used. I don't own frozen or rise of the guardians.
1. Chapter 1

Sailing on a sea of white

Floating gently to a crystalline shore

Pale waves peek upon a silent ocean

Concealing all in a frosty fog

- unknown

Jack glided over the white capped waves, a wake of swirling snowflakes trail behind him. He dipped his toes playfully in the inlet, the water freezing at his touch into plates of ice. He dipped the other, alternating sides. He tilted his hook down towards the water, a frigid air sweeping over the waves, incasing them in a stream of glistening ice. Stars shone down on the glassy sheet, making them look crystal-like with the multicolored glow it produced.

He laughed to himself, then shot up in the air and looked down on his creation. A swirl of ice had spread all the way to either shores. Jack smiled, knowing she would appreciate it. Now, for the finishing touch. Jack flew into the clouds.

Everything fell silent.

Then, one by one, little frozen flakes began to drift though the air. Snow. Jack floated back down onto the ice, landing softly. He sat on the delicate snow and ice, in awe over the beauty of his work. Then, he frowned. He knew it wouldn't last long. The ice wasn't thick, and soon ships would be coming to the harbor to trade their goods with Arendelle. It might only last until morning, but that is all the time he needed for her to see that he had come.


	2. Chapter 2

Fear an icicle

Love a swiftly beating heart

Frost spread in my chest.

- Ashley Somebody

* * *

Elsa's POV:

My sheets enclosed me as I slowly awoke from my dreams. I took a deep breath in of the cold, crisp air. I opened my eyes to see the roof of my bed room. Even though I tried my hardest to not think of the dream, it kept returning, even more vivid every time. It was a bitter sweet dream. Well, it was more of a memory. It had actually happened. Except, how it ended changed. I liked my dream ending better than what actually happened. I sighed, thinking about the memory...

* * *

Sitting in the highest chamber of the castle. A place where I could be alone. It was the time of that wierd transition between fall and winter, where everything was kind of soupy and plants began to hibernate.

I looked out the window of that high chamber, watching Arendelle buzz below. Drops of dew splashed on the sill. I touched my finger tips to the top of the glass and from them spread my magic. It froze the drips into delicate, narrow icicles and around the window, frost shot spikes towards the center, creating a frosty frame.

Then, I saw patterns of frost I hadn't seen before. They spiraled and looped overtop of my frost spikes, making the design a whole new spectacle. I took my hand away from the window, but the designs continued, circling the whole window. I knew it wasn't me. How could've it been? I peered though the frost and ice.

A hand. One finger tracing along the path the frost was being drawn. I panicked for a second, ice spreading from beneath my feet as I backed up. Once the hand had met back with the beginning of its work, it disappeared. At first, I was confused. Then, I approached the window again. Who could be out their, or maybe, WHAT was out there? I couldn't think how a person could be out there. Then again, I couldn't be the only person who had powers like this.

I approached the window timidly, pressing my shaky hand firmly on the glass. Ice spread from my palm, creating an elaborate, 6 pointed snowflake. It took up the rest of the window. I released my hand from the glass and waited for the hand to come back.

For a few seconds, no one came. Then, I saw little swirls begin to border my snowflake. I smiled, know it was a game I was playing. I stood back and watched the frost wrap around my snow flake. Once the frost stopped, I examined the window closely, seeing if I could make out anything else besides a pale, frosty hand. I jolted back at the sight of bright blue eyes. We locked gaze. No one moved. No one used their magic.

"back up," said a surprisingly warm male voice. I looked around, seeing no one there. When I looked back at those eyes, they had reduced to slits. I knew they were the producer of the warning, so I backed up.

Suddenly, my icy snowflake exploded towards me. I shielded my face from the shards of ice and glass that came hailing at me. Nothing touched me, thankfully. When I pulled back my arm, I saw the silhouette of a figure hovering in the frame of the window. A cold breeze made me shiver.

"sorry," was the first thing it said, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

I was frozen on the stone floor, starting up at the person who was now flying over to me.

"don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," they said.

"I'm not afraid," I shot. It was something that I never wanted to go back to. Being afraid. Even the mention of it brings back unwanted memories. Especially if some thinks I am afraid. I'm not afraid. I am above being afraid. Surprised, yes, but never afraid. Afraid is a strong word.

Judging by the short platinum hair hidden under the blue hood, I assumed this person was a male. He landed on the floor where there was no broken glass and squatted. It made me feel more comfortable to have him down on my level of view.

"I liked your snowflake," he said. I brushed myself off and began to sit up when he was there beside me, holding out a hand.

"my name is Jack," he said. I clasped his hand and let him pull me up.

"I'm Elsa," I said, "thank you. I like your frost."

"it's what I'm known for; my frost," he said with a shrug. He leaned on a strange shepherd's hook. He was slightly taller than me and was barefooted.

"aren't your feet cold?" I asked him.

"the cold never bothered me," Jack replied, "anyway, I like snow days."

Elsa smiled.

"I like the cold too," I said.

"Cool. Let's go have some fun," Jack said as he grabbed my hand. Shocked, I pulled my hand away.

"what's wrong?" he smiled, "afraid of a little fun."

Afraid. Now he was just being a tease. I was liking him less and less by the minute. He smirked when he saw me grit my teeth.

"no," I said, grabbing his hand again, "I'm not afraid, remember?"

His smirk spread into a wide grin as he pulled me to the window and we jumped into the cold, winter air. We fell straight down. I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. He had that mischievous glint in his eye, and now, because of my carelessness, I was plummeting to my death.

Suddenly, we shot up in the air. We spiraled up and over the castle, leaving a flurry behind us. I held his hand so tight. If he dropped me, I would have never forgiven myself for trusting a stranger. A cute stranger. A friendly stranger.

I didn't even bother to ask where he was taking me. For some reason, I knew he wouldn't lead me wrong. The views that Jack showed me were amazing. We flew over the village of Arendelle and then across the inlet. As Jack and I's feet touched the water, it froze over, and soon, we were gliding across the iced over inlet, creating beautiful snowflake designs. Eventually, we started ice skating on the ice in our bare feet. Naturally, it wasn't cold at all. The ice skating turned into this majestic dance as we raced around the frozen inlet. It was the most fun I had had since the thaw. I was smiling so much my cheeks ached. When we were skating and dancing, he told me he is a gaurdian. He protects children from fear and fills their emptiness with his "snow days". He may feel cold to touch, but his heart is as warm as the sun. When I touch someone, they tell me I'm cold. As we talked about it, I became aware of the feeling of our hands together. I didnt feel that coldness we constantly emitted, it was hot. Almost to the point it was uncomfortable. It was like holding a stone that had been sitting in the sun for a long while. I have never experienced anything like it in my life. I loved it.

I never let go if his hand. We didn't stop dancing until we saw a pink and orange sky. Jack steadied us to a stop and then we floated into the sky. As I looked down at the inlet, I realized just how beautiful and detailed our carvings in the ice were. We made flowers. Water lilies. Lily pads. Curly vines. They were frost bitten. The sunset reflected on the glassy ice and lit the foliage in shades of orange to yellow to pink. I loved it. I loved having someone to share my ice and snow with. My sister, Anna, fully supports me and my powers, along with my people, but neither Anna nor my people will ever truly understand how it feels to be cold. Jack knows cold. He is cold. I am cold.

Then, I let go of his hand, Jack's fingers lingering as I pulled away. I willed the winds to keep me levitated.

"well, would you look at that. Elsa can ride the winds too," Jack said.

"I can," I agreed. I saw the look in Jack's eyes. Behind the giddy, playful, little boy, there was something else. An emotion I didn't see the first time we made contact. I couldn't figuer it out, but I could see it slowly seeping out of him. He turned away from me when he saw me staring. I shouldn't have stared.

Jack open and closed the hand I let go of, hanging there all lonely. His gaze wandered off into the sunset. The way he kept a neutral face, his straight postured. There was something he wanted to express, but didn't put it into words. He glanced back at me, smiled to the side of his mouth, then quickly looked away again. Suddenly, it clicked.

I grabbed hold of his hand. His eyes widened at my abrupt move. I smiled brightly at him. He smiled back even brighter.

"this time, I want to show you something," I said and dragged him along as I glided though the air. I contemplated showing him my ice castle, but I had a better place in mind. We arrived at a mountain side where a cave sat between snow. Thick, long icicles hung at the entrance, guarding what glories I know hide within. We landed on the small perch before the cave's mouth.

"this way," I said pulling him in without hesitation. We slid between the icicle bars and ducked under the low ceiling that was also riddled with icicles. They were smaller, but could still be as deadly if one was to fall. Jack wasn't timid or scared at all. He trailed me quite close, actually.

At the end of the cave, it broke into a vast cavern with waves of ice curling up the sides. Stalagmitic ice sculptures were in various positions around the cavern and a natural ice archway stood in the middle of it all.

"lets go to the top of the arch!" Jack chimed and pulled me along. We stood at the peek. The last rays of the sun reflected around the ice, lighting up the walls and columns around us. We stood face to face, only a foot away from each-other. Jack took my other hand into his.

"it's very amazing here," he sighed. I nodded and replied, "I found it a while ago when I..." my words choked in my thoat. Remembering my moment of freedom before I realized the plague I had placed on my town brang back mixed emotions. I didn't want to explain it all to Jack. He didn't deserve to listen to my sorrow. "...was in solitude."

I couldn't meet his eyes after that. I felt a finger lift my chin back up to see Jack standing only inches away from me now.

"I was alone once too," he said, as if reading my mind, "until I met the guardians, I didn't know what true friends were or who they could be."

I looked up into his eyes. He felt how cold ice can get.

"sometimes, I still question who my friends could be," I say.

"me too. Sometimes, I wonder if they could be something even more," Jack said.

"can they be something more?" I whispered. Jack smiled down softly at me. I could hear both our hearts fast beats, the silence was so strong.

"I am about to figuer it out," he whispered back, leaning in close to me. I close my eyes, ready for his touch. Then there is a rumble. My eyes snap back open. I see Jack only millimeters away from me. Another loud rumble that shakes the cavern. We look around, seeing icicles shaking. They start to fall. Jack and I dash for the exit. An avalanche. We dodge around falling icicles. The way out is so close. I can see snow falling passed the opening and down the mountain side. We leap out of the cave, just in time to watch snow seal the cave over. We soar away into the night.

Landing back at the tower in my castle, I hug Jack, holding onto him tightly. He hugs me back. We are wrapped in each-others' embrace, my head resting on his shoulder.

"it's ok, we are safe now," he hushed me. I feel a tear run down my cheak and onto his blue hoody. As it makes contact with the fabric, it turns to ice and falls to the stone floor, smashing apart.

"it's gone," I whisper.

"all good things come to an end. And all the bad things, too," Jack said. I let him go and he stepped back.

"I have to go now. Kids love their snow days," Jack laughed.

"thank you for everything, Jack," I say.

"no, thank you, Elsa, for everything," he replied. He turns and heads for the window. Just as he steps foot on the sill, he turns back to me.

"I promise to come back next winter," he says. I nod. What else am I supposed to say to that. He cups his hands over his mouth. Then, he holds them out to show me. In the palm of his hand, a heart made of ice sits. He blows at it and the heart floats all the way to me, where it finds my chest and melts into my skin. The sensation is sharp coldness, then unexplainable heat rushing across my chest. When I look back at the window, Jack is gone.

* * *

In my dream, there was no avalanche and the moment continued. It all happened last winter, and now was almost spring. He said he would be back next winter. How could I have been so hopeful on the word of a stranger? Well, he wasn't much of a stranger after all we did in one day, but still, it was only a day. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I could stop thinking about Jack.

I got up out of my bed and went and sat at my table. I looked in the mirror. In between my collar bones is a faint blue snowflake. Jack put it there. Everytime I touch it, pale blue lines spread from the snowflake all across my chest. It's an eerie, but comforting thing for me to do. When I remove my finger from the snowflake, the lines disappear.

I braided my hair and spun it into a bun, fastening it with some pins before I left my room for breakfast. As I walk, my silky nightgown swirls around my ankles. I am in a hall and looking over my town and harbour out the long windows, when I see snow falling. It has been a long time since it has snowed. When I look at the inlet, I see it has froze over. On closer examination, I see patterns carved into the sheet of ice. My stomach did somersaults. He was back.


End file.
